Leadership Formation Session Held at Paper Town Parish, Diocese of Shimoga 

Shimoga, November 2, 2026: On Sunday, August 30, 2026, Ms. Lenny D’Sa, ICYM President; Ms. Sadhana, YCS Vice President; and Mr. Abhilash, YCS Secretary, visited Paper Town Parish as part of the youth leadership formation initiative.

The team arrived at the parish at 8:30 AM. The Holy Eucharistic Celebration began at 8:45 AM and concluded at 10:00 AM. During the Mass, Fr. Dominic Christu Raj SDB, Parish Priest of St. Joseph the worker Church, introduced the visiting team to the parish community.

Following the Holy Mass, while the children were attending their catechism examination classes, the team had a 30-minute interaction with Fr. Dominic Christu Raj. He shared valuable insights and practical guidance on leadership, highlighting how Yuvamitra could nurture young leaders and encourage greater participation among the youth in parish activities.

At around 10:30 AM, the team met the YCS children at the church. Fr. Dominic introduced the children to the visiting team, and the members also introduced themselves. From 10:45 AM to 11:30 AM, an interactive leadership formation session was conducted for the children.

During the session, the team explained the importance of leadership qualities, teamwork, responsibility, and taking initiative. The children were encouraged to identify their talents, work together as a team, and take steps towards forming an active YCS unit in the parish in consultation with their Parish Priest.

The team also shared personal experiences and practical examples from their own leadership journeys, helping the children understand the importance of commitment, cooperation, and active participation in youth activities. The session received an encouraging response, with several children expressing their interest in taking up leadership responsibilities and continuing their involvement in YCS/YSM activities.

The programme concluded with an animation activity, followed by light refreshments and a group photo session. Before departing, the team met Fr. Dominic and had a brief interaction with him.

The visit was a fruitful opportunity to motivate the children, identify emerging young leaders, and encourage the formation of a vibrant YCS team in Paper Town Parish. It also strengthened the vision of Yuvamitra to build responsible and committed young leaders through parish-level youth formation.